Shooting incident in Guapo – Policeman and civilian killed

POLICE have promised a thorough investigation into an incident in Guapo on the outskirts of Point Fortin, early on November 6, which left both a 25-year-old police constable and a civilian dead. Another policeman remains warded in hospital with gunshot wounds.

Constable Krishna Banahar, last assigned to Siparia CID, was pronounced dead at Point Fortin Hospital at 5.20 am. Al Hakim Joseph, a 45-year-old self-employed businessman from Gonzales Village in Guapo, was also declared dead at the hospital around the same time. Joseph worked in the scrap iron industry.

A relative of Joseph was detained in connection with the incident.

Police sources said Joseph was among people who fired at the police. However, his family have denied this account.

Initial police reports state that Banahar and his colleague Cpl Mohammed, were on duty at St Rose Street in Guapo when gunmen opened fire on them, hitting both officers. The officers returned fire, hitting one of the shooters, later identified as Joseph.

The three were taken to the hospital, where both Banahar and Joseph were pronounced dead. Police said Cpl Mohammed suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

At Banahar's family home in Mon Desir, distraught relatives and friends gathered to comfort each other.

A family member told Newsday that police officers arrived at 2.30 am to pick up Banahar to go on an exercise. The family did not know the details of the exercise. A few hours later, he was dead.

Relatives said they first heard news of his death via social media. Police later confirmed he had been killed while on duty.

The relative, who asked to remain unnamed, said, "We saw the news on Facebook. Krishna loved everything about nature. He loved running and hiking. He took part in a lot of marathons. He was a kind and respectable person."

Banahar was the first grandchild of his maternal grandparents. He was not married and had no children. The family was too distraught to comment further.

At Joseph's home on St Rose Street in Guapo, relatives insisted he was not a gunman. They also denied that another member of the family, who was detained, was involved in the shooting incident. A female relative recalled being asleep when she was awakened by banging on the front door. She then found police inside the house.

While in the living room, she said, the police told her and a child to both sit down, which they did.

"At the time, I did not know if they were real police or bandits. They were wearing plain clothes. I asked why they were there, and they said they had a warrant to search for guns and ammunition. But up to now, I have not seen any warrant, and the police did not find any guns or ammunition," she said.

"He (Joseph) was no bandit. He lived here. The police took his cell phone and its SIM card," she said. The woman said she was unsure how Joseph who was in the house asleep, ended up outside when he was shot.

While admitting to have not witnessed the incident, the woman insisted that Joseph and the detained relative were not involved in criminal activities.

Supt Edmund Cumberbatch of the South Western Division briefly spoke with Newsday and confirmed that a man was in custody.

"Enquiries are continuing, and we are trying to get to the bottom of this unfortunate incident. We remain committed to fighting crime in the South Western Division while safeguarding the rights of the public," said the senior officer.

"We will conduct a fair and thorough investigation. A person has been detained."

Allan Ferguson, president of the TT Scrap Iron Dealers Association expressed condolences to families of both PC Banahar and Joseph. He said the association was conducting "crime talks" nationwide to encourage people to avoid a life of crime and promote peace and unity. Calls and messages to president of the Police Social Welfare Association, ASP Gideon Dickson, went unanswered.

Editor's Note: This is an update to an earlier story which can be read below.

A policeman was killed on duty in an early-morning shooting on November 6 that also left a colleague wounded and a suspect dead.

Constable Krishna Banahar, who was based at Siparia CID, was pronounced dead at Point Fortin Hospital at 5.20 am.

The bandit is yet to be identified.

Initial reports said he was Banahar and a colleague, Cpl Mohammed, were on exercise duty at St Rose Street in Guapo, on the outskirts of Point Fortin, where gunmen shot at them, hitting both officers.

The officers fired back, hitting one of the suspected shooters.

The police and the man were taken to the hospital, where Banahar died.

Other police from the South Western Division were notified and a search is under way for the other suspect.

No arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.